Listening to Love

by Beth Wiseman

  Back in Moses’s living room, she wondered why in the world he hired her when he clearly didn’t have enough for her to do. But he had a freshly painted house, and Cecelia had been able to get her head straight. Maybe she needed to take up painting as a full-time job. She chuckled at the thought. But she did need to find a job that was forty hours per week, and she would talk to Moses about it when he returned. She’d been searching online for bookkeeping jobs in the evenings since that was something she knew how to do. She’d also returned some of the more luxurious items she’d bought recently. She lost money on some of the jewelry, but it gave her some quick cash. She returned the purse to the boutique where she’d purchased it, and the clerk gave her a full refund. Those items felt less important to her these days.

  She started closing the windows in the house. Not that it mattered. If anyone wanted to steal anything, they could walk through the unlocked door. If she left the windows open, it would help with the paint smell, but after thinking about it, she closed them. She’d open them back up tomorrow.

  When she couldn’t find her keys in her purse, she sat on the couch and rummaged around, finding them just as her phone started to buzz.

  “I wanted to tell you this in person, but I can’t wait any longer.” Natalie sounded breathless. “And, I’m sorry. I told Mary. Maybe I should have told you first. I don’t know.”

  “Goodness, what is it?” Cecelia stiffened as her pulse picked up. “Nothing bad, I hope.”

  “Nope. Nothing bad. Guess what?”

  Cecelia grinned. “Um . . . I have no idea.”

  “Guess.”

  Leaning back against the couch, Cecelia took a deep breath and wondered if this was a trivial matter or something huge. Natalie tended to approach the big and little things with an exaggerated level of excitement. Cecelia would be happy for her daughter no matter what it was. “Just tell me.”

  “Lucas asked me to marry him, and I said yes!”

  Cecelia sat straight up, blinking a few times. Her first inclination was to say that it was way too soon, that Natalie hadn’t thought things through and she was too young. But in her efforts to reclaim her life, Cecelia was trying to control only the things she could. Controlling Natalie had never been an option. She did what she wanted, and she’d always been a good kid and made mostly good choices. But this was more than just deciding whether to go to college or buy a new car. Marriage was a lifelong commitment. At least, it’s supposed to be. “Oh,” she finally managed to say. “When?”

  “Um . . . about a week ago. And I need you to be happy for me because I’m thrilled. You know how much I love Lucas.”

  Cecelia had talked to Natalie on the phone almost every night over the past week. She suspected her daughter was afraid to tell her, fearful Cecelia wouldn’t be happy for her. She took a deep breath and tried to choose her words carefully. She and Natalie had managed to work their way back to a good mother-daughter relationship, and Cecelia didn’t want to mess that up. “If you’re happy, I’m happy, sweetheart. It-it’s a lot to think about. Mostly for Lucas and how it will . . .” Cecelia’s heart began to hammer as she realized Natalie hadn’t said which one of them would be conforming to the other person’s way of life. “Are you, uh, or is he, um . . . someone will have to change their life if you two are going to get married.”

  “Breathe, Mother. I’m not converting to Amish. Lucas is willing to make the changes so we can be together.”

  Cecelia relaxed her shoulders and closed her eyes as relief flowed through her. This might not be the ideal situation, but she was going to trust her daughter’s decisions. Or at least try to. “Have you set a date?”

  “No, not yet. We’re going to gradually work toward the type of life we think will suit us both. Even though Lucas will be making the most changes, I want the transition to be easy on him, so I’ll be making some adjustments too. We haven’t gotten into the details yet, but we are in love, and we can have God in our hearts no matter how we choose to live.”

  It sounded logical, although Cecelia suspected her daughter was so caught up in being in love that she hadn’t thought much further. She would have to keep reminding herself that this was in God’s hands, not Cecelia’s.

  “Sweetheart, I want to hear all about this, and we can talk more later, but a car just pulled into the driveway.” A sheriff’s car.

  Cecelia knew Natalie was okay. But Sean? Dear God, please don’t let anything have happened to my son. She didn’t want Natalie to worry, so she told her goodbye without mentioning what kind of car had pulled in.

  Her lip trembled as she walked to the door, which was open. On the other side of the screen two sheriff’s deputies were walking up the porch steps. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she brought a hand to her chest.

  “Can we come in, please?” The taller of the two men spoke.

  Cecelia pushed open the screen door and stepped aside. “Is my son, Sean, okay? What’s wrong?” Even though Sean wasn’t in active military duty, that status could change. Maybe he was being sent overseas. But they didn’t send sheriff’s deputies to your place of work for that.

  “Are you Cecelia Collins?”

  She nodded as tears built in the corners of her eyes. The moment she opened the door, she could tell by the solemn expressions on the men’s faces that this was more serious than a traffic violation.

  “Your son is fine, as far as we know.” The taller deputy pulled loose a set of handcuffs attached to his belt. “Can you turn around, please, and put your hands behind your back? You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent . . .”

  Cecelia was in a fog, not understanding what the man was saying as the handcuffs clicked behind her back. “What did I do? What did I do?” She’d never been in jail. She had never even visited someone in jail. “Why are you doing this?” Somewhere in the process, she’d started to cry. “What am I being charged with?”

  The quiet deputy gently turned her around and spoke to her. “Do you seriously not know?”

  Cecelia was shaking so badly, she couldn’t speak.

  The deputies exchanged a glance, both scowling. “You’ve bounced checks in excess of one hundred thousand dollars, for starters. But you are also being arrested for writing checks to known drug runners.”

  Cecelia struggled to catch her breath, then said, “Wait. Wait. Wait. You have the wrong person. I can see where the mistake has been made. I am only a bookkeeper. I wrote those checks for Moses Schwartz. I sign on his accounts as a convenience. I was just following his instructions.” She couldn’t imagine Moses being involved in something like this, but stranger things had happened. Still trembling, she could at least see the bigger picture. “It’s Moses you want. This is his house.”

  “Ma’am, we’ve never heard of Moses Schwartz, and this house is in your name.”

  Cecelia went weak in the knees and almost fell. “I-I need to call my daughter.”

  “After you’re booked and processed, you’ll get a phone call.” One deputy guided her out the door, and the other picked up her purse.

  What is happening?

  * * *

  Helen folded her hands across her stomach as she stood in the barn with the rest of her family. Lucas waited until everyone was present before he said he had an important announcement to make. The barn had been their meeting place for family gatherings for as long as Helen could remember, weather permitting.

  There were bales of hay for her children to sit on, though Jacob usually perched atop the workbench, and Isaac had a special chair in the corner. It was an unspoken rule that meetings in the barn were not to be missed, as they were reserved for important topics.

  Today, fear wrapped around Helen’s heart and squeezed so hard that she almost felt faint. Isaac had offered her his chair, but she wanted to stand, even if she stood on wobbly legs. What was Lucas about to tell them? In Helen’s heart, she knew, but she prayed steadily to God that she was wrong.

  “Danki for coming.” Lucas addressed his fa
mily with a formality that confirmed to Helen that the news wasn’t going to be good. “Normally, this kind of announcement would be published and there wouldn’t be a need for this meeting.”

  Helen placed a hand over her heart and leaned against the workbench next to where Jacob was sitting. Her son rested a hand on her shoulder, as if he knew what was coming too. Helen glanced around at all of her children, and then at her husband. Each person in the musty barn was solemn, their expressions filled with dread. Miriam even had tears in her eyes.

  “But this news won’t be published, and I wanted you to hear it from me.” Lucas paused, took off his hat, and wiped sweat from his forehead. He held on to the hat, dangling it at his side, and his eyes found Helen’s. “I’ve asked Natalie to marry me, and . . .” Her son’s voice cracked only slightly. No one might have noticed, except for Helen. “And she said ya, and I won’t be baptized into our faith.” He kept his eyes on Helen, whose bottom lip was quivering now. “I need you all to be happy for me.”

  Helen wanted to run to him, throw her arms around her son, and beg him not to do this, but she pressed her lips firmly together. Her children began to congratulate their brother with an empty enthusiasm that was less than genuine, an emotion Helen couldn’t summon as she looked down at her bare feet atop the soft dirt.

  Slowly, his siblings either shook Lucas’s hand or hugged him briefly before they left the barn. Isaac didn’t rise from his chair. When everyone was gone, Helen slowly made her way to Lucas and wrapped her arms around her much taller son, burying her face in his chest, wishing he was a child who had to be obedient. But Lucas was a grown man.

  Helen held on to her son for a long while before she released him and left the barn. She couldn’t bring herself to congratulate Lucas, which she might regret later, but right now, she wanted to be alone. It wouldn’t be in the kitchen, where some of her children would gather. She would go to her bedroom and hopefully have time to gather herself before her husband joined her. She left the two men alone, knowing Isaac would want to talk to Lucas privately.

  * * *

  Lucas’s heart was breaking, and he didn’t know what to expect from his father, but seeing his mother’s expression and feeling her disappointment had almost been too much to bear. Lucas was sure his siblings had expected this, and maybe his parents had, too, but family was everything to Lucas. He was going to hold out hope that his father had at least one positive thing to say about his proposal to Natalie.

  His dad slowly stood up, walked to the workbench, and leaned against it, facing Lucas a few feet away. “You had to know this wouldn’t go well,” he said as he stroked his long beard. “And I know by the look on your face that this has been a difficult choice for you, no matter how much you lieb the maedel.”

  Lucas looked up at his father because he knew he wouldn’t continue until he had Lucas’s full attention.

  “I will ask you only one question, mei sohn.”

  Lucas waited, praying he would answer his father truthfully no matter what the question was.

  “Love presents itself in many forms, and often in many layers. Each layer must support the others. As a person ages, weathering over time, the layers of our skin become thinner and dependent on the other layers to be supportive, strong, and resilient. A person in love must also make sure the depth of his emotions is strong and supportive enough to sustain him throughout the layers of life.” His father paused and locked eyes with Lucas. “Is this the kind of love you have for Natalie?”

  “Ya.” Lucas didn’t hesitate, but after he’d answered, he wondered if he understood his father completely, but maybe some things could only be deciphered with time. All Lucas knew for sure was that he loved Natalie, and he never wanted to be without her.

  His father nodded. “Then go in peace with mei blessing.”

  Lucas was grateful for his father’s words but wondered if he would ever have his mother’s blessing.

  * * *

  Helen didn’t know she could still run at all, but she ran toward the barn as fast as she could, her hip on fire the whole time. “Cecelia was just arrested!” She made the announcement to Isaac and Lucas, who were leaning against the workbench. “She was taken away in handcuffs. I saw it out of our bedroom window.” She glanced at her husband, knowing he would be unhappy that she was spying on the neighbors again, but surely it would be overlooked this time.

  Lucas’s jaw dropped as he walked to his mother. “Why was she arrested? Does Natalie know?”

  Helen held up her palms. “I have no idea. I just saw her hauled away in a sheriff’s car, handcuffed!”

  Lucas pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

  Helen had wanted to ask him how long he’d had a cell phone ever since she found the cord in his drawer. He’d never pulled it out in front of anyone. But now wasn’t the time to question him about it.

  Lucas walked around her, the phone to his ear.

  Isaac gently took Helen’s arm, and they followed Lucas out of the barn. By the time they caught up to their son, who was standing in the middle of the front yard, he was talking to Natalie.

  “Nee, nee. I don’t know anything,” Lucas said. “Mei mamm just saw it happen.” He listened for a few seconds before turning to his father. “Daed, when someone is arrested here in Orleans, where would they go?”

  Isaac stroked his beard. “To Paoli.”

  Lucas turned away briefly for a few seconds, then ended his call with Natalie. “I have to go.” He looked back and forth between his parents. “I need the buggy.”

  Isaac nodded, and after Lucas had run to ready the horse and buggy, Helen groaned. “I knew that woman was trouble.”

  * * *

  Natalie sat in the small waiting area of the Paoli jail, waiting for her mother to be released. She’d paid the ten-thousand-dollar bond, filled out the paperwork, and was trying to ignore the curious stares from people coming in and out—officers, visitors, a maintenance guy carrying a weed eater, and a mailman. Maybe she was just overly self-conscience about her black eye and busted lip.

  Her mother had lucked out. Today happened to be the day cases went before the judge, and she wouldn’t have to spend the night.

  Natalie turned when the door opened again. Lucas walked in and sat beside her. “What’s going on?”

  “Thank you for coming,” she whispered as two deputies came in. One actually snickered.

  “You don’t see that often—an Amish guy in here.” The men disappeared behind a door that read Authorized Personnel Only.

  Lucas didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he ignored it.

  “She was charged with writing bad checks—like a ton of them for a lot of money—and apparently being involved somehow with drug dealers.” Natalie struggled to maintain her composure. “I know this can’t be true. My mom has never been in trouble. She probably has a few creditors calling, but she’d never do anything like this. Never.”

  A door to their left swung open, and Natalie’s mother came out, shaking and crying, followed by another woman who handed her purse to her. Natalie rushed to her and threw her arms around her. Her mother cried on her shoulder for a few seconds before she lifted her head and looked at Lucas.

  “Your neighbor did this to me. Moses set me up.” She stomped a foot, crying harder. “How could he do this?”

  Natalie motioned for Lucas to follow them outside and kept an arm around her mother, guiding her to the door.

  Once they were outside, her mother completely broke down, bending at the waist and sobbing. “I only did what he told me to do. I only signed checks he approved.” She straightened as her eyes blazed with anger. “His house is in my name! And it’s not like I can keep it. He’s so far behind on the mortgage that it’s about to go into foreclosure.” She tossed her head from side to side, wild strands of hair slapping at her face. “Why would he give me a house? Why is this happening? And where is he?” She looked up at the sky. “I’ve had enough!”

  Natalie glanced at Lucas. His jaw hung
low, and his eyes bulged.

  “And how did his house get in my name?” Her mother asked again as she dropped her purse. Lucas quickly picked it up and handed it back to her, then looked over his shoulder when his horse neighed. His buggy was tethered to a pole at the far side of the parking lot.

  “I don’t know, Mom, but we will get it figured out.” Natalie looped an arm through her mother’s and coaxed her toward the car. She told Lucas she would call him later. She felt bad that he’d traveled the eight miles in his buggy, only to turn around and go home, but right now, Natalie’s mother needed her.

  “I’m going to need an attorney. I heard someone say I’ll have to pay back the money.” She sobbed harder. “Where would I get a hundred thousand dollars when I can’t even pay my mortgage or credit card bills?” When they got to the car, she swiped at her eyes and looked at Natalie. “Why would he do this?”

  Natalie blinked back tears of her own. “I don’t know, Mom, but yeah, I guess we need a lawyer. At least I have enough money for that.” After the ten-thousand-dollar bond she’d paid, Natalie tried to mentally calculate what she had left from the sale of Adeline’s piano. She’d bought a more reliable car with the money, paid for this semester’s tuition and books, and given some to her mother when she needed it. She was sure her mother would be found innocent, but at what price? Lawyers were expensive. Would she have enough left to finish four years of college—if she chose to keep going? These were questions she didn’t have answers to, but she was going to do whatever was needed to clear her mother of this horrible injustice.

  “Let’s get you home.” Natalie finally got her mother in the car, but no matter what Natalie said, she just cried.

  “Mom, this is a huge mistake, and we will get it straightened out.” Natalie heard the shakiness in her voice. Neither she nor her mother knew a thing about the legal system. They’d never been caught up in anything like this before.